Rethinking Teacher Leadership: A Critical Cross-National Analysis of Eight Frameworks from Global North

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Sunday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Developing and Supporting Teacher Leadership Roles

Abstract

This study conducts a theory-driven qualitative content analysis of eight national teacher leadership frameworks from the Global North, using NVivo 14. Through inductive and deductive coding, it identifies three dimensions: teacher leadership conceptualization, power structures and leadership identity, and inequality recognition and diversity commitment. Grounded in Critical Leadership Theory, this study identified three concepts of teacher leadership in Global North: as competencies, as activities, and as socially constructed processes. While all frameworks emphasized formal authority and credential-based leadership pathways, several also acknowledged informal and distributed leadership, rooted in peer collaboration. The level of commitment to equity varied widely, with some frameworks critically addressed structural inequality and promoted transformative inclusion positively, while others only offered performative actions towards diversity.

Author

• Fangju Jiao, Hokkaido University